Confirmed with Link: Phil Housley Hired as Head Coach

[Der Jaeger]

If Housley's system demands a plus group of defensemen, he literally should not have made it through his first interview.

Not really.

It's all about matching the organizational vision with the coach with the players. Housley wants to play a 5-man attack. To do that, you can take risk with a lack of elite or even top line forwards to invest in defense. Which is exactly what Nashville did. They've got Johansen, Forsberg, Ardivsson, Fiala, and now Turris.... and a bunch of chemistry and style fits at forward. They've almost got more impact defenseman than forwards.

Buffalo has Eichel, ROR, Okposo, and Kane as impact players at forward, with Reinhart developing there, and Mittelstadt, Nylander, and maybe Asplund as future impact forwards. They've got Ristolainen, Scandella, and possibly Guhle on the back end.

It's to GMBOT to work some magic and get better defenseman. The roster was built for a Lombardi/Sutter combo, and it must transition.

 

[EichHart]

And what happens when a 3rd coach comes in here and they are still bad? Can we then start pointing the blame at the players? Or is that too much to ask?

 

[Aladyyn]

And what happens when a 3rd coach comes in here and they are still bad? Can we then start pointing the blame at the players? Or is that too much to ask?

Give up on the players when they're put in a position to succeed and fail. Hasn't happened yet.

 

[sabrebuild]

Not really.

It's all about matching the organizational vision with the coach with the players. Housley wants to play a 5-man attack. To do that, you can take risk with a lack of elite or even top line forwards to invest in defense. Which is exactly what Nashville did. They've got Johansen, Forsberg, Ardivsson, Fiala, and now Turris.... and a bunch of chemistry and style fits at forward. They've almost got more impact defenseman than forwards.

Buffalo has Eichel, ROR, Okposo, and Kane as impact players at forward, with Reinhart developing there, and Mittelstadt, Nylander, and maybe Asplund as future impact forwards. They've got Ristolainen, Scandella, and possibly Guhle on the back end.

It's to GMBOT to work some magic and get better defenseman. The roster was built for a Lombardi/Sutter combo, and it must transition.

What parts of the roster were built for the Lombardi/sutter combo outside of Kane?

 

[Aladyyn]

What parts of the roster were built for the Lombardi/sutter combo outside of Kane?

Jordan Nolan

On a serious note, I consider ROR and Reinhart to fit the criteria.

 

[SabresFan26]

What parts of the roster were built for the Lombardi/sutter combo outside of Kane?

ROR, Deslauriers, Fasching, Kane, Lemieux, Okposo, Gorges, Franson, and more

All heavy players

 

[sabrebuild]

Jordan Nolan

On a serious note, I consider ROR and Reinhart to fit the criteria.

Nolan doesn’t make a lot of sense for both his lack of importantance and he was acquired after said build was the focus within Murray.

I view both guys as operable in any system. Their skills are both about applying quick decisions to whatever is going on. Center them between two heavies, they will work the cycle and play centerfield on the forecheck. Give them burners that want to skate and they will set up give and goes or hit homerun passes.

 

[sabrebuild]

ROR, Deslauriers, Fasching, Kane, Lemieux, Okposo, Gorges, Franson, and more

All heavy players

So deslaurier never made the roster this year and is the least important cog in the machine. RoR, see above, as a part of a system, completely disagree as an individual player. Lemieux, a prospect who never played a game for us and is a bottom six guy... Franson, Fasching..

Perhaps I misunderstood the thread, but I don’t see the connection between Phil Housley and coaching and transitioning and these players that Phil has never coached a minute, beside Fasching for like two days.

Agree for Okposo as the closest to that model for a winger.

I don’t see much reason for their to be a model of players that is stop a coach from changing the system. It should take a while for the same players to get perfectly comfortable just cuz it’s new and they had like ten new guys.

To me Phil can have a pass on a certain need to gel as a team issues for his breakout or transition game.

But you don’t get a pass for letting a pp that didn’t look as good as its production indicated completely flatline. You don’t get a pass for playing girgs away from Eichel. This team’s most talented player is Eichel and if the point is to win this year you put him in the best position to win. Stack ROR on his wing. Let Larson and Reinhart cover the top 9 and double dip Eichel on the 4th line.

Phil still has little experience and maybe he is really thinking about how to fix this like a maniac.

But for a coach is not the game your experiment lab. And if you don’t try another fix, that has a history of success in small doses, how are you learning more by staying static?

The only right answer in my mind is that this season has been accepted as a failure and they are showcasing Kane for the whole year. If so, it had better be a hell of a package.

 

[SabresFan26]

This roster sucks. There’s few pieces that will be here beyond 3 years from now. GM Murray failed our original rebuild and now we have to allow Botterill to do his shaping. In 3 years if were not significantly better then people can complain more. I’m confident he will be successful.

Housley will learn but the man is smart and his players like and respect him far more then who Murray hired as bench boss. Multiple coaches haven’t had success here and that’s more to players then coaching. Leadership in a room is more important then coaching and the coach helps establish that culture. Look at McDermott.

So many people here act like they’re experts and yet aren’t at practices or ever have had any kind of experience as a player or in leadership beyond a high school hockey background.

Let them do their job, support them, and be patient. If in a few years there isn’t noticeable success then we should worry. Until then, support the team.

 

[Der Jaeger]

What parts of the roster were built for the Lombardi/sutter combo outside of Kane?

4 deep center spine.

Heavy wingers in Kane, Okposo, Girgensons, Foligno, Carrier with heavy wingers in Bailey, Baptiste, and Fasching in Rochester.

Heavy game defenders in Ristolainen and Bogosian who want to rush the puck.

 

[Moskau]

I like how the same people who swear up and down that Murray messed this team up so bad will then state that Botterill will then turn it around in 2 or 3 years. If it's as bad as you say it is then it's going to take a while. Very few teams have ever ripped down a team the way Buffalo did. Let's not ignore that Tim Murray had almost zero prospect talent ready to play for him from the Regier era because Buffalo f***ed up the 2010-2012 drafts so badly. The '10 and '11 drafts are especially embarrassing and if Regier and Devine hit on two or even one more player we may be having a completely different conversation.

Buffalo is where they're at because of the Regier era, Murray era, and even Botterill Era.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

It's all about matching the organizational vision with the coach with the players. Housley wants to play a 5-man attack. To do that, you can take risk with a lack of elite or even top line forwards to invest in defense. Which is exactly what Nashville did. They've got Johansen, Forsberg, Ardivsson, Fiala, and now Turris.... and a bunch of chemistry and style fits at forward. They've almost got more impact defenseman than forwards.

Every single thing Housley said about 5 man hockey was fraudulent. He doesn't coach that style, and literally all of his success has come from having the best available defensemen and leveraging them.

As for Nashville, we want to play their game why? We have a better forward group and zero defensemen as their level.

Buffalo has Eichel, ROR, Okposo, and Kane as impact players at forward, with Reinhart developing there, and Mittelstadt, Nylander, and maybe Asplund as future impact forwards. They've got Ristolainen, Scandella, and possibly Guhle on the back end.

Deeper, better forward group, no defensemen at their level. You're just naming some dudes.

It's to GMBOT to work some magic and get better defenseman. The roster was built for a Lombardi/Sutter combo, and it must transition.

Buffalo has never built their system around having high end transition/retrieval forwards so we actually don't have a single freaking clue whether the style you claim our current roster is built for will work, or whether we need to transition to something else.

That's why the Housley hire sucked from day 1.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

This roster sucks. There’s few pieces that will be here beyond 3 years from now. GM Murray failed our original rebuild and now we have to allow Botterill to do his shaping. In 3 years if were not significantly better then people can complain more. I’m confident he will be successful.

Housley will learn but the man is smart and his players like and respect him far more then who Murray hired as bench boss. Multiple coaches haven’t had success here and that’s more to players then coaching. Leadership in a room is more important then coaching and the coach helps establish that culture. Look at McDermott.

So many people here act like they’re experts and yet aren’t at practices or ever have had any kind of experience as a player or in leadership beyond a high school hockey background.

Let them do their job, support them, and be patient. If in a few years there isn’t noticeable success then we should worry. Until then, support the team.

*Complains bitterly about people making assumptions sans firsthand information*

"Phil Housley is gonna be great because he's really smart, you guys!"

 

[SamReinhart23]

All I know is the Sabres are starting to blocks shots again!!!

 

[Chainshot]

All I know is the Sabres are starting to blocks shots again!!!

"Make Kris Russell Great Again" patent pending.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Every single thing Housley said about 5 man hockey was fraudulent. He doesn't coach that style, and literally all of his success has come from having the best available defensemen and leveraging them.

As for Nashville, we want to play their game why? We have a better forward group and zero defensemen as their level.

No argument from me.

Deeper, better forward group, no defensemen at their level. You're just naming some dudes.

Pay attention. I was naming the players who were the strengths of the roster in comparison to the Preds.

Buffalo has never built their system around having high end transition/retrieval forwards so we actually don't have a single freaking clue whether the style you claim our current roster is built for will work, or whether we need to transition to something else.

That's why the Housley hire sucked from day 1.

Sure. But I can look at player strengths and see that the roster was built for a heavy game with skilled centers. That's LA.

 

[EichHart]

I like how the same people who swear up and down that Murray messed this team up so bad will then state that Botterill will then turn it around in 2 or 3 years. If it's as bad as you say it is then it's going to take a while. Very few teams have ever ripped down a team the way Buffalo did. Let's not ignore that Tim Murray had almost zero prospect talent ready to play for him from the Regier era because Buffalo ****ed up the 2010-2012 drafts so badly. The '10 and '11 drafts are especially embarrassing and if Regier and Devine hit on two or even one more player we may be having a completely different conversation.

Buffalo is where they're at because of the Regier era, Murray era, and even Botterill Era.

I agree with this, but feel like Murray was the biggest culprit by far. It's a series of mistakes on mistakes from each GM that culminated into the product we see this year.

 

[EichHart]

Every single thing Housley said about 5 man hockey was fraudulent. He doesn't coach that style, and literally all of his success has come from having the best available defensemen and leveraging them.

As for Nashville, we want to play their game why? We have a better forward group and zero defensemen as their level.


Deeper, better forward group, no defensemen at their level. You're just naming some dudes.


Buffalo has never built their system around having high end transition/retrieval forwards so we actually don't have a single freaking clue whether the style you claim our current roster is built for will work, or whether we need to transition to something else.

That's why the Housley hire sucked from day 1.

Agreed, we simply do not have the players to deploy the system Housley wants to. Disco Dan had a system that was better tailored to this teams personnel.

 

[Aladyyn]

Agreed, we simply do not have the players to deploy the system Housley wants to. Disco Dan had a system that was better tailored to this teams personnel.

We had one defenseman who could execute Bylsma's breakout regularly and he's not on the team anymore.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

No argument from me.



Pay attention. I was naming the players who were the strengths of the roster in comparison to the Preds.



Sure. But I can look at player strengths and see that the roster was built for a heavy game with skilled centers. That's LA.

So... why hire Phil Housley?

 

[sabresfan129103]

This guy is like 3 years removed from coaching high school. There is no way he was ready to coach an NHL team. What a disaster of a hire.

 

[Jame]

Change one letter

 

[SabresFan26]

Change one letter

Man after Bylsma, shocked you already want to fire Housley after less than 20 percent of a season.

 

[Jame]

Man after Bylsma, shocked you already want to fire Housley after less than 20 percent of a season.

I hope Housley learns how to coach in the NHL...

More than anything... i want an offseason do -over.... I want a President and/or GM who have done the job before. And I’m confident that type of front office would hire an experienced head coach.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Man after Bylsma, shocked you already want to fire Housley after less than 20 percent of a season.

Different set of equally crippling problems, outlined repeatedly in the last few pages.